San Francisco Weighs Law On Bias Against Fat People

SAN FRANCISCO — It's against the law in San Francisco to discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and place of birth.

The city may soon make it illegal to discriminate against people who are overweight.

"It's a real thing. In the world of stand-up comedy, fat jokes are standard currency," said Board of Supervisors President Tom Ammiano, himself an occasional stand-up comic. "When I was a teacher, I particularly witnessed the persecution of kids who are heavy. We're programmed to think it's funny, but it's not."

Ammiano has asked that the city attorney and the Human Rights Commission look into drafting legislation that would add the category of fat people to the list of protected classes.

Attorney Carole Cullum, who serves on the city's Board of Permit Appeals and describes herself as a fat woman, said Ammiano was onto something. Overweight children, she said, are the last to be picked for the volleyball team and other activities, and hefty adults face discrimination in the workplace and in housing. On top of that are the jokes and verbal taunts.

"It's the last safe group to discriminate against," she said. "It's time that it's not safe anymore."

Ammiano made the proposal in the aftermath of a protest against an ad campaign for the 24 Hour Fitness centers.

One billboard shows an artist's rendition of a space alien and reads: "When they come, they'll eat the fat ones first."

Demonstrators, many of them large, took to the streets on Monday and chanted, danced and waved signs, one of which read: "Bite My Fat Alien Butt."

One of the protesters, Max Airborne, said Ammiano's anti-bias proposal was "like a pipe dream."

"I never thought something like this would happen in my lifetime," said Airborne, 33, a college student.

Adding protections under city law may make people think twice about maligning heavy people, advocates say. Violators of the anti-discrimination law face an investigation by the Human Rights Commission and possible fines.

Rhea Serpan, executive director of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, initially snickered at Ammiano's idea, but later said it deserved serious consideration.

"I'm sure that for some people this is a major concern," he said. "Clearly, we have opposed discrimination wherever it is, and if something does move forward on the legislative front, we'll look at it."